Market outlook looks bright for Red River Valley

Red River Valley growers are, from a marketing perspective, well positioned
entering the heart of their red potato storage shipping season.

While experiences vary on early-season shipping demand, much of the crop
has been moved early -- and a very manageable portion of an average-
volume crop.

NoKota Packers Inc., based in Buxton, ND, had strong early movement and is
ahead of its five-year average in shipping its red storage potatoes, according
to company President Steve Tweten. "We are doing real well" in moving the
2010 crop. The firm will ship into April or May.

"Quality is looking good," he said. "We still have a lot of good potatoes."
Randy Boushey, general manager of A&L Potato Co., located in E. Grand Forks,
MN, said that the shipping season started slowly but that this winter, prices
"are not bad." He added, "They've been moving along pretty steady."

Paul Dolan, manager of Associated Potato Growers Inc. in Grand Forks, ND,
said that his company, after a slow start, has "been making it up. Overall
movement this year is a little better than last year out of the [Red River] Valley,
so that is encouraging."

Cory Seim, a salesman for Northern Valley Growers, a red potato grower-
shipper based in Hoople, ND, stated, "We have had a fantastic year as far
movement. ... I hope to finish in the middle of March. Typically, we go usually
until around May 1."

Grower-shipper David Moquist of O.C. Schultz & Sons Inc. said, "We have
been real busy shipping since we started. Movement has been good,
obviously, because of that. We are ahead of schedule in shipping. The quality
looks good so far. We look forward to good quality throughout the whole
deal."

When demand slowed in December, Peatland Reds Inc., located in Trail, MN,
took a shipping and packing hiatus. Going into the new year, the firm was
back into packing and shipping. Peatland moved about two-thirds of its
potato volume before the December break.